Computer simulations and video games are, broadly stated, computer programs. They are run on computer systems that typically have a visual display such as a video screen and a user input device such as a keyboard, mouse, joystick, pedal or light gun. The simulation or game displays images on the computer system's video screen and those images depict the action of the simulation or game. The person using the simulation or game affects the action by entering predetermined commands through a user input device. For example, in an airplane dogfight video game, images of various airplanes are displayed on the screen and commands are entered through a joystick. The commands affect the movement and action of the planes.
A drawback of existing simulations and video games is that they do not allow a user to record the action of the simulation or game, replay it and then enter the simulation or game while the action is being replayed. The invented playback method and simulation address that drawback.